Received a lot of questions last week, following the image of recently harvested Weld, Reseda Luteola, a biennial. I felt it might help to share so you too can adapt your growing space to give you more.
Last summer, Sulphur Cosmos was under planted with Weld, knowing the initial rosettes would grow in and fill out, suppressing weed growth and maintain moisture levels during the summer. Once Sulphur Cosmos set seed and plants died back, they were cut down leaving roots in place to nurture and maintain microbial health, from a labouring point of view, avoiding soil disruption, to prevent weed seeds being revealed to the light. These are just two of the methods employed and taught by Charles Dowding for the “No dig” method, less disruption to the soil equals to less weeding and preserves the mycelium layer which connects all plant life.
As temperatures rose under glass earlier in March, Weld took centre stage. As always growing under, cover soil temperatures are warmer year long, which affords not only early growth but also a longer season, with protection from frost.
Had both Sulphur cosmos and Weld been planted outside we’d likely have seen no activity until mid March to beginning of April, it would have likely died back completely, re-emerging in March. Whether you are growing in or out, companion or underplanting, is beneficial to both soil and gardener. Suppressing weeds maintaining soil health and giving twice as much from a single space.
Continuing the practise of "Companion planting" or "Under planting"
This season has progressed, incorporating food between floral dye crops. Some maintenance will still be required but far less than when growing tall ambitious dye florals as a mono crop.
So far this season, we have companion planted....
Coreopsis & Cucumbers: this is the second year for this combination, and we can attest to planting cucumbers between coreopsis, not only encourages pollinators but also makes for deliciously sweet cucumbers. One cucumber plants to every six coreopsis plants give enough space to create support at intervals for the coreopsis. While cucumber climb the string to over head tomato lines. Very much looking forward to seeing cucumbers hanging above coreopsis flowers.
Hollyhocks & Snowball turnips: We’ve under planted the new season hollyhock’s with snowball turnips which are quick to mature, filling out with foliage, reducing weed germination by blocking sunlight. Turnips will be harvested soon giving opportunity to plant a second crop in the remaining space.
This section currently looks like a riot is taking place, as Hollyhocks are taking off too, when it was imagined hocks would hang back a little in their first season. Turnips sown Charles Dowding style, in sets of four or more.
Kushi Marigolds & Beetroot: Marigolds are well known for their benefits, they are boastful distractors to pests in the garden, under glass they can grow to 5ft or 152 cm tall carrying huge blooms, generous in colour. In previous seasons at ground level, this allowed space for weeds, we again followed Charles Dowding's practise of sowing beetroot seeds in multiples per cells. The beetroot foliage will reduce light as the roots grow in, reducing the need for weeding. On harvesting, again there will be space to interplant a second crop, though not necessarily beetroot but perhaps salad so it will have a shaded spot in which to grow.
By contrast Persicaria Tinctoria indigo is planted as a mono culture, so when harvesting it is "weed free" and we are able to produce the best pigment without "other elements". The harvest has to be cut and set to soak as quickly as possible, so pigment levels are kept at their peek. There is no time to sort through bundles of indigo to identify weed material, barely enough time to give a quick rinse when necessary to remove dirt.
This year having collected the seed, the indigo plants were also allowed to die back gracefully through November and December.
It wasn't until January, any action was taken, whereupon the Indigo was mowed down with a strimmer, again, leaving roots in the ground. This season we have also left the soil in place, no rotating or ploughing just simple fork style aeration, followed by a layer of local compost. Am delighted that for the first time under glass, indigo now grows as a “No Dig” crop.
For those wondering. The introduction of Indigo to the outdoor fields are currently planted through mypex or weed suppressant cloth, to retain this mono culture environment and over time eradicate, grass and persistent weeds. Over the course of the next two season, we will remove the mypex, layer local compost to feed back the soil, with natural green pathways throughout.